Alexandra is a textile designer turned home renovation specialist and interior designer. In 2010, she and her husband started ModOp, a renovation company that modernizes distressed properties. Once the renovation is complete, Alexandra stages the property utilizing customized artwork and accessories that she creates; the result appears as an effortless combination of her skills as an artist / textile designer and interior designer.

The area outside this Los Feliz condo unit is lush and green; Alexandra has effectively brought this environment indoors through the use of her hand painted silk textiles. I especially love the reupholstered seat cushions on the vintage dining chairs. Her work reflects a great affection towards mid-century modern design.

After completely a rather extensive renovation of this Spanish Bungalow, Alexandra put her interior skills to work. She masterfully combines seemingly disparate patterns in the patchwork kilim rug and the wingback chair covered in her custom textile design. For the complete story of this renovation, check out the LA Times story here.

Above are few examples of Alexandra’s textile designs. She uses a process similar to batik where a water-based resist is used first to draw the design. The design is painted over with water-based paints that she mixes to create her custom palette. Once the artwork is heat set, the resist disappears leaving a “reveal” or the lines of the design. It’s not difficult to see why her one-of-kind prints have been acquired by home décor and fashion clients including Anthropologie, Trina Turk, Pottery Barn and more.

Alexandra’s artwork frequency focuses on architecture. She finds inspiration throughout the varied landscape of her hometown, Los Angeles. As the granddaughter of Welton Becket, the architect who designed some of L.A.’s most famous landmarks (Capitol Records, the Music Center, the Beverly Hilton, the Pan Pacific Auditorium, and others) she is influenced by the geometry of modernism, the sharp angles and graceful curvature. The top image of Capitol Records pays tribute to her Grandfather in her own talented, artistic way.

Meet Alexandra in person, hear more about her current projects and have the opportunity to see some of her custom home accessories in person! I, for one, think that these will be hitting some hip LA interior shops soon (and beyond) but I guess we will have to wait and see wait Alexandra has to say about that ! August 30th at the FLOR West Hollywood store.

Dayka is an interior designer with a hands on approach. Frequently, she can be found second-hand shop- ping, antiquing and estate sale-ing – always looking for the next vintage piece that she will apply her signature 3R’s to (Rescue – Reuse – Reinvent). As a designer she excels at helping people define their personal style and then use that understanding to create a space that truly reflects your personality and lifestyle. She was a design assistance on TBS’ Movie and a Makeover and now spends her time writing the popular blog DRD and running Room Service Atlanta, a non-profit charity that organizes Atlanta designers to provide pro-bono design services to area homeless shelters.

On Dayka’s blog, you can see some of her projects as a work in progress – we love seeing all the different patterns together, it definitely creates curiosity about the final room design. Her blog also conveys her love of vintage furniture and the fresh ways she has found to update pieces. She’s a big fan of Instagram, check out her collection below of vintage finds that she will be apply the three R’s to (Rescue, Reuse, Reinvent) !

Stop by our Atlanta store on August 30th and perhaps Dayka will divulge some of her favorite vintage haunts – clearly she’s good at turning up furniture with “good bones.” And the prices would make you drool. She is full of energy and ideas, so this is an opportunity not to be missed!

Maja is a fine artist turned entrepreneur living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Her company Ursidae means family of bears, a play on her name and recognition of the fact that the inaugural Ursidae collection is a series of silk scarves based on her father’s tessellation drawings. The collection got its start back in 1975 when her father, Robert DeBear started this series of drawings – infinite fields of interlocking figures ranging from zoological to mythological forms. The project was never completed and sat filed away for nearly 40 years. In 2011, he lost his long battle with cancer; but before he passed away, he asked that his family find a way to share these designs with the public.

Ursidae celebrates the beauty that is found in moments of loss. The collection is launching this fall and we are quite certain it is going to be a wild success – take a look at a few of the look book shots below :

Maja’s collection involves the convergence of techniques – the patterns began as hand drawings by her father, were completed and transformed into a format that would work for her intended use and ultimately become digitally reproduced onto fabric. Every production technique allows for different opportunities and has certain constraints. Digital printing on fabrics is popping up more and more on the runways as designers can use manipulate photographic imagery for unique results. Maja considers Greek designer, Mary Kantrazou, to be the most innovate designer creating with digitally printed fabric right now. Here are some of Maja’s favorite images from the Mary Kantrazou Spring/Summer 2012 lookbook.

Maja’s experience bringing the Ursidae product line to life has opened up new ideas and opportunities. Come meet Maja at our Soho location on August 30th to hear more about her work and future plans.

Unison was started in 2006 after husband and wife team, Robert & Alicia, returned to the US after a four year design stint at Marimekko in Finland. Together they design and manufacture a collection of household goods ranging from printed bedding, children’s bedding, blankets, throw pillows and table linens. Their collection aims to bring modern design into the practical world of daily life. Unison graphic motifs are minimal, yet substantial, lending themselves to be mixed and matched to create either a streamlined look or something more colorful and playful.

Certainly modern and minimal could be used to describe their bedding; however, the collection manages to give off a warm and inviting feel. Robert & Alicia are dedicated to using high quality materials and to manufacturing their products to meet or exceed textile standards. In addition, they proud to participate in local production, their signature hand-printed pillows and table linens are cut and sewn at small factories around Chicago.

Robert & Alicia recently opened up their studio for retail three days a week. In addition to being able to interact with customers about their goods directly, they are introducing accessories and household items from designers whom they admire – items that pair quite nicely with the Unison asethetic I might add.

We loved the architectural style of these candle columns designed by 2nd Shift, a design studio in Cleveland, Ohio. Constructed from steel and concrete, they have a solid feel and their hexagonal shape encourages trying out all sorts of configurations.

They clearly have a knack for merchandising and I always think it’s a brilliant idea when product manufacturers decide to open up their doors to retail. It is always such an educational and rewarding experience to be able to interact directly with your audience. We’re thrilled that their shop is just a short hike from the FLOR offices. Honestly, it’s a little self-serving – there are lots of new little ones being added to the FLOR family these days and I think we now have a go-to gift – Check out these adorable booties – an exclusive offering from Unison created by their sales manager, Michelle Vondiziano.

Stop by FLOR’s Chicago location in Lincoln Park this August 30th and you’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the Unison team. I’m interested to hear about their experiences opening up their studio space as a shop, aren’t you?

Annabel created her product design company, Wolfum, after nine years of professional design experience in the accessory and apparel industry. She desires to create a business that would bring meaning through the expression of her values. Annabel aims to create timeless designs and with her young daughter Bird in mind, hopes to see her creations passed down through generations.

Wolfum is a growing collection of household goods that range from traditional tabletop items (napkins, coasters, placements) to more whimsical items – animal shaped bookends and modern taxidermy style coat hooks — all adorned with Annabel’s pattern designs. Her color palette and design aesthetic has a nod to vintage design but clearly reflects her modern sensibilities. The home accessory industry is often very short-sighted and trend driven; in contrast, Annabel strives to bring a new perspective to how one decorates, with timeless, durable items that will withstand trends and each item is proudly handmade in Los Angeles.

I love seeing how her pattern designs translate with such ease across different materials. The color palette and vintage style give the products an almost worn-in look, which lends itself towards her vision of having these products stand the test of time.

Annabel’s pillow looks right at home in the top image – LA Times recreated a 1951 home design magazine – swapping out the furniture, textiles and accessories of the past with current products. Definitely makes a statement about the cyclical nature of design! Check out the full article here.

A few more of Annabel’s pattern designs are shown above – if you are as enamored with her work as I am, then you won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet her in person on August 30th at our Santa Monica store.

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Welcome to "Musings", FLOR's blog dedicated to design inspiration. We've invited a few of our friends to share their personal design thoughts and experiences. We hope you leave feeling empowered and return to be inspired.